Statistical facility monitor

Abstract

A statistical facility monitor has a consumption percentile meter. The consumption percentile meter reads in utility consumption data from a monitored facility over a period of time. The consumption percentile meter then reads in a cumulative distribution of consumption percentile versus normalized utility consumption for similar reference facilities. The cumulative distribution is based on other facilities in the same facility class as the monitored facility. The consumption percentile meter uses the cumulative distribution to determine the consumption percentile for the monitored facility relative to the reference facilities. The meter then outputs the consumption percentile.

We claim: 
     
       1. A computer implemented statistical facility monitor directed to the practical application of quantitatively measuring a consumption percentile of a monitored utility for a monitored facility wherein said statistical facility monitor comprises a computer implemented consumption percentile meter comprising an input device, a computer screen and a digital processor wherein said computer implemented consumption percentile meter is configured to:
 a) read in by said input device data suitable for determining a utility class of said monitored utility, a facility class of said monitored facility, a temporal class of the monitored utility, a duration of a monitored time period, a size of the monitored facility and an expected average unit consumption rate of the monitored utility; 
 b) determine by said digital processor an expected consumption of said monitored utility based on said size of said monitored facility, said duration of said monitored time period and said expected average unit consumption rate of said monitored utility; 
 c) determine by said digital processor an expected consumption quantity class of said monitored facility based on said expected consumption of said monitored utility; 
 d) query by said digital processor a cumulative distribution (CDF) database using said utility class, facility class, temporal class, duration of said monitored time period and said expected consumption quantity class of said monitored utility to identify appropriate cumulative distribution data wherein said appropriate cumulative distribution data is based on data from a plurality of monitored reference facilities in the same utility class, facility class, temporal class and expected consumption quantity class as the monitored facility; 
 e) read in by said input device said appropriate cumulative distribution data; 
 f) read in by said input device from said monitored facility, consumption data for the monitored utility for the monitored time period; 
 g) calculate by said processor a normalized consumption for the monitored facility using said consumption data and said expected consumption of said monitored utility; 
 h) determine by said processor a consumption percentile for the monitored facility based on the normalized consumption and the cumulative distribution data; and 
 i) display on said computer screen, the consumption percentile for the monitored facility. 
 
     
     
       2. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 1  wherein said cumulative distribution data is based on 100 or more of said reference facilities. 
     
     
       3. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 1  wherein said utility class is one or more of energy, materials, labor, capital costs or monetary expenses. 
     
     
       4. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 1  wherein said temporal class is one or more of steady consumption, periodic consumption, randomly initiated events, or finite state machine cycle. 
     
     
       5. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 4  wherein said randomly initiated event is an accident within said monitored facility and said utility consumption data comprises losses due to said accident. 
     
     
       6. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 1  which further comprises a computer implemented facility billing module configured to provide a charge for said utility based on said consumption percentile for said monitored facility. 
     
     
       7. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 6  wherein said monitored time period comprises a beginning and an end and wherein said monitored time period is subdivided into sequential metered periods each comprising a beginning and an end. 
     
     
       8. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 7  wherein said computer implemented facility billing module is configured to automatically provide an intermediate charge at the beginning of a current metered period wherein said intermediate charge is based on a forecasted consumption percentile for said monitored facility at said end of said monitored time period. 
     
     
       9. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 8  wherein said forecasted consumption percentile for said monitored facility is based on a prior consumption for all of said metered periods prior to said beginning of said current metered period and a forecasted consumption for all of said metered periods subsequent to said beginning of said current metered period. 
     
     
       10. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 9  wherein said forecasted consumption percentile for said monitored facility is based on a forecasted consumption of said utility for a tail period that occurs after said end of said monitored time period. 
     
     
       11. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 6  wherein said charge has a linear relationship to said consumption percentile for said monitored facility over a range of consumption percentiles. 
     
     
       12. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 11  which is adapted to monitor a plurality of facilities and wherein:
 a) each facility is associated with a different cumulative distribution; and 
 b) said linear relationship is used for each of said different cumulative distributions. 
 
     
     
       13. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 6  wherein there is a range of indeterminate consumption percentiles for said cumulative distribution and wherein said charge is a constant over said range of indeterminate consumption percentiles. 
     
     
       14. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of said utility consumption data is manually entered into said statistical facility monitor. 
     
     
       15. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 1  wherein:
 a) said expected consumption quantity class comprises a minimum and a maximum; and 
 b) the ratio of said maximum to said minimum is in the range of 1.08 to 1.6. 
 
     
     
       16. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 15  wherein:
 a) said temporal class is randomly initiated events; 
 b) said randomly initiated events have a probability of occurring per unit time; 
 c) said randomly initiated events have a distribution of magnitudes of consumption of said utility; 
 d) said distribution of magnitudes has an average value; and 
 e) said expected consumption of said monitored utility is equal to said probability of occurring per unit time, times said average value times said duration of said monitored time period. 
 
     
     
       17. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 16  wherein said probability and said distribution of magnitudes is based on said labor class. 
     
     
       18. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 1  wherein said monitored facility comprises one or more of a plurality of buildings, regions within buildings or outdoor locations. 
     
     
       19. The statistical facility monitor of  claim 1  wherein said facility class is an industrial class.